Expectations
My worldview, when I am the focus,
Lends itself well to thoughts, attitudes,
And behaviors that are self-protective,
Designed to take care of me in some way.
It leaves no room for God.
We seek safety,
The comfort of the familiar, what is known to us,
Rather than seeking to know God,
And finding safety in relationship with Him
During the stretching experiences
He allows to enter our lives.
I wonder whether those in Jesus’ hometown of Nazareth
Weren’t stuck where we so often find ourselves.
They knew what they grew up with.
Life seemed to have a rhythm that was familiar.
It required little thought.
Neighbors were known; patterns of relating were practiced.
When Jesus came back home and entered their synagogue,
What He said and what He did,
Did not fit together with what they knew and understood.
His family had lived in the community for years.
Jesus was not who they expected Him to be.
What He said and how He said it,
What He did, and how He did it were different.
Because it was different, they were offended.
Yet, He spoke truth.
By Twila Charles Leichty